Broom



T. A. VOSS.

BROOM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22,1919. 1,31,%6. I Patented May 25, 192%.,

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ATM!" T. A. VOSS.

BROOM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1919.

\ Patented May 25, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z- m. w E w W UNITED smrss PATENT @FFICE.

THEODORE AUGUST VOSS, OF I-I-IOENICIA, NEW YORK.

BROOM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Application filed May 22, 1919. Serial No. 298,849.

- which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to brooms, and more particularly to that class ofbrooms the sweeping or dusting portion of Wl11Cl1 is folded and retainedin a binder by a retalning bar seamed in the ends of the binder.

At the present time brooms are very eX- pensive and as the ordinaryusage given brooms results in their wearing out very soon, it becomesburdensome on the family purse to supply the household with efficientbrooms.

An object of my invention is to provide a device whereby old newspaperscan be utilized for the sweeping element, by so con structing the broomhead as to permit newspapers or other foldable sheet material to bequickly put in place to sweep and as readily removed for renewal.

Another object is to provide a broom that can be cheaply made, and onein which a single head will serve for many tuft fillings.

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in certainnovel features of construction arrangement and combina tion of parts aswill be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawin s, in which-- Figure 1 is atop plan view of a broom embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of same;

Fig. 4; is a perspective view of a portion of the filling material,consisting of a folded newspaper; and

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a portion of the filling material showingthe provision by which the broom may be used for sweeping in corners andalso for preventing marring of furniture.

In carrying out my invention I use a head or block of wood 10 having acentral opening 11 in which a handle 12 of suitable length is inserted.

The block or head 10 of the broom is preferably elongated andsurrounding and ex= tending below its lower edge is a cage or binder 13of one-quarter inch mesh, the upper portion of which is secured to thehead by staples 14.

The filler for the broom may be of any suitable foldable material suchas paper, fabrics, willow strips, etc., but I prefer on account ofcheapness to use old newspapers.

Several sheets of paper may be put togetherv and folded several times,as shown in Fig. at, such filler being designated by reference character15. I may fold these papers to such size that the fold will lie withinthe retaining cage 13 against the head, the entire length of same, but Iprefer to arrange the folded papers in two sets or sections and placingthem end to end insert them in the holder, as indicated in the sectionof Fig. 2; these folded sections extend well down below the lower edgeof the cage and constitute the sweeping or dusting element, the freeends being at the bottom.

The folded papers are held in the holder by a longitudinal bar or bolt16 having a head at one end and the other end threaded as at 17 to forman anchorage for the bolt 16 and also to strengthen and brace the endsof the cage I provide elongated perforated curved plates or washers 18at each end apply them to the outside of the cage at each end thereof,the bolt being passed through the perforations and in the plates orwashers lying within the fold of the papers; on the threaded end of thebolt a wing nut 19 is screwed up against the washer at that end. Theconstruction and relative arrangement of the parts as just set forthforms a very substantial and eflicient broom, but to provide means forutilizing the broom to sweep in corners or narrow places, as well as toprevent the broom from scratching and marring furniture with which itmight come in contact, I provide, in addition to the previouslydescribed folded papers, papers folded and cut out at certain portionsas shown in Fig. 5. By inspection of this figure it will be noted thatthe folded papers 20 are notched or out out as at 21, from the fold linedownwardly a slight distance, or such a distance as will permit the foldto fit well within the cage, and the projecting ends 22 extending beyondthe longitudinal ends of the head and its surrounding cage 13.

p I have found that twelve sheets of newspapers folded make a very goodbroom, but, of course a greater or less number of papers can be used.

In assembling the parts to make a complete broom, four papers are foldedinto the condition shown in Fig. 4, and two sets of them placed in thefolder or cage end to end as shown in Fig. 2, and then four papers arefolded and notched or cut out to take the form shown in Fig. 5. Afterthe papers, folded as in Fig. 5, have been placed invthe holder withthose of Fig. 4:, a strip of wire gauze 23, having one edge 24 bent, isplaced within-the fold entirely across the broom; the locking rod orbolt 16 is then slipped through the perforations in the plates orwashers 18, lying within the head 24, and then screw up the wing nuttight, and the broom is complete and ready for use.

A broom construction as herein described will sweep the finest dust ordirt off hardwood fioors, and when the broom has been used a few days afine hair-like fringe will be formed at the bottom edges.

For stables and other rough places I may substitute willow strands,straw, etc., folded and held as herein provided, instead of oldnewspapers.

From the above it will be seen that I produce a broom that can becheaply made, and when newspapers are used it utilizes a substance thathas already served a useful purpose, to wit, reading 'of the news, andprevents their wanton waste.

The wire mesh strip 23 inserted in the fold of the papers, and retainedin place by the bolt, which lies in the bent edge, servesto hold thefold in place and prevent the inner strips of paper from slipping andalso serves to strengthen and brace the folded newspaper sheets in thesweeping operation and, at the same time, giving elasticity to same.

menses Furthermore, the use of the wire mesh cage around the foldedpapers permits the papers to bulge and fill in the meshes and therebytend to prevent slipping of the outer sheets of the folded papers.

I claim: 7

1. A broom comprising a wooden headblock, a reticulated retaining bandsurrounding the same and extending below the lower end of saidheadblock, a plurality of flexible sheets folded and inserted withinsaid band below said headblock, part of said folded sheets havinglongitudinally extended portions projecting beyond the ends of theheadblock and said band, and means for locking the said folded sheetswithin said band.

2. A broom comprising a head block, a wire mesh retaining bandsurronding said block and extending below the lower face thereof, aplurality of folded sections of flexible sheet material, inserted inlongitudinal series with the ends abutting within the band, with thefolds in alinement, and means applied within said folds for mailitainingsaid abutting sections within-the retaining band and against the lowerface of the block.

3. A broom consisting of a wooden head block, a foraminous retainingband secured to said block, surrounding the same and extending below thelower face thereof, a plurality of flexible sheets folded and insertedwithin said band below the head block, a flexible spacing and bracingstrip lying within the fold of said material and removably held therein,means engaging said strip to retain it within the fold, and means forlocking the retaining means to the aforesaid retaining band.

THEODORE AUGUST ,VOSS.

